US injects ₱37-billion grant into Philippine healthcare system
At A Glance
- The Philippines has secured a $600-million grant from the United States, or around ₱37 billion, to expand access to quality healthcare and strengthen the country's resilience against public health threats.
The Philippines has secured a $600 million grant (around ₱37 billion) from the United States (US) to expand access to quality healthcare and strengthen the country’s resilience against public health threats.
The Department of Finance (DOF) facilitated the non-repayable grant under the Strategic Objective Agreement (SOAG) for Integrated and Sustainable Health Systems in the Philippines, with the Department of Health (DOH) slated to implement the initiative.
In an Aug. 10 statement, the DOF said the grant will support efforts to build an integrated, sustainable, and self-reliant health system by bolstering health security, improving care delivery, and enhancing national capacity to respond to infectious disease threats. It will also advance bilateral cooperation between Manila and Washington on global health security and other priority health initiatives.
“Investing in healthcare is investing in our people, our productivity, and our future,” Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go said.
“Through this grant, we are strengthening the country’s ability to respond to health emergencies while building a more resilient and sustainable healthcare system that benefits our people,” he added.
Under the agreement, both nations will work toward three key outcomes: strengthening disease surveillance, detection, and outbreak response; integrating service delivery across health programs; and building domestic capacity to finance and manage the health sector.
The initiative will also support priority health programs addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH).
The SOAG builds on more than six decades of health cooperation between the Philippines and the US. Last month, both countries signed a five-year health agreement containing a jointly funded plan of up to ₱42 billion to strengthen the Philippine healthcare system and global health security. (Derco Rosal)